Braiding machine



Mar, 27, 1923. I 1,449,749.

1. B. HALE.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

FILED JAN. 30. 1920- I Jaw/221015. 170/8.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UK STTES Files.

JOSHUA B. HALE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENIS, TO TEXTILE ENGINEERING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

BRAIDING- MACHINE.

Application filed January 30, 1920. Serial No. 355,229.

To all w/wm'it may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA B. HALE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braiding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1 in braiding machines, and has for its object to provide such a machine having a carrieractuated switch mounted on the raceway table for guiding the traveling carrier from one section of the raceway into another.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1is a plan view illustrating a portion of the raceway table with my improved switch members mounted thereon.

Figure 2is a sectional elevation on line 22 of Figure 1 through the switch plate.

Figure 3is a perspective view showing the switch plate in detail.

Figure 1is a modified form of switch plate arranged to be moved laterally by the advancing carrier. 1

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another modification.

It is found in practice, in braiding machines, particularly in that class where the quoits are circular in shape and mounted to rotate with the travel of the carrier to be necessary to provide means for switching or engaging the forward end of the carrier to direct it diagonally across the intersections of the raceway from one section thereof into the next; and it is also found in practice that where the carrier is traveling at a high rate of speed, that at the point at which the direction of travel is changed, the top of the carrier has a tendency to tip outwardly and that the carrier should at that-point be sustained or supported as high up on its guiding portion as is possible while redirecting its course. Then again it is also found advisable that the switch member, which is employed for engaging and redirecting the course of the carrier, should yield to form a cushion or buffer to absorb, or in a meas ure lessen the jar or shock which would otherwise be imparted to the carrier should it bring up at each turn upon a non-yielding portion of the side wall of the raceway, thus saving wear and tear on the parts, reducing the noise, and permitting the carrier to be driven at a very high rate of speed.

The following is a. detailed description of one form of mechanism which enables me to accomplish the desired results WVith reference to the drawing, 10 designates the usual raceway table of a braiding machine, which maybe mounted upon a bed or other suitable support (not shown). This raceway table comprises an outer fixed ring 11 and an inner fixed center member 12 and a. plurality of circular quoit plates 13 all mounted with their upper faces in substantially the same plane. The raceway 14 being formed in said table by making these quoit plates smaller in diameter than the openings in the table in which they are,

mounted.

These quoit plates are shown as each being provided with an annular flange 16 which is notched at 17 for the purpose of engaging and driving the carriers 18 through the raceway and as they advance across the intersections thereof from one section to the next.

It is found in practice that where a circular quoit plate is used that it is necessary to provide means for guiding the carrier across the intersections of the raceway; that is, from one section of the raceway into another section thereof.

To accomplish this guiding or directing of the carrier at the different critical points of crossing in the raceway, I have provided recesses 19 formed in the upper surface of the table substantially in the line of approach of thecarrier and at the intersectionsof the raceway and in each of these recesses I have mounted a plate 20. The outer end of this plate is beveled or pointed as at 21 on either side thereof-like an arrow head, the bevels being substantially on the same angle or circle as that of the outer wall 22 of the raceway so that when this plate recedes flush with this wall it still has a supporting effect upon the edge of the guiding portion of the carrier, so as to provide the maximum support against its tendency to tipdue to changing its course or direction of travel.

In orderthat this plate shall serve as a buffer and yield to the impact of the advancing carrier, a slot 23 is provided in the plate through which is passed a screw or pin 2 t, and between this screw and the outer end of the slot, I have mounted in this slot a coil spring 25 to act upon this wall and nor-- mally hold the switch plate in its outer or extended position, and at the same time permit this plate to recede substantially in the line of travel of the advancing carrier under its impact when traveling rapidly.

In order to hold the switch plate down in its groove and also to cover this groove as well as the spring slot 23 in the plate, I have mounted a large washer 26 which is secured in position by the head 27 of the screw 24. which washer serves to keep all of the lint or foreign matter. from both the groove and the slot preventing them from filling up which would interfere with the proper reciprocating action of the switch plate.

By the use of my improved switch which is operated by the carrier itself, a number of important, practical advantages are obtained; among others being first: that the same is extremely simple, practical and inexpensive in construction; second, the switch is extremely efficient in its operation in that it is set to recede substantially in the line of travel of the advancing carrier at the time of engagement therewith, whereby it is caused to serve the purpose of a buffer or yieldable member to smoothly and easily redirect the rapidly traveling carrier to its new course in the next section of the raceway; third, by mounting the plate on the upper surface of the table the carrier receives its maximum support against its tendency to tip due to the changing of its course ,or direction of travel, the support being at the point of the change of direction which is where the greatest tipping effect is exerted due to the inertia of the load or cop mounted on the carrier above the supporting surface; then again by this arrangement of yieldable switch I reduce the wear on the parts, minimize the noise by receiving the impact on a yieldable buffer and thus permit the maximum rate of speed of the carrier; fourth, by mounting the plate upon the upper sur face of the table it is rendered very accessible, is in position where its action may be readil observed and in this position it may be most easily removed for inspection and repairs: all of which features are most essential as a switching device is a vital element in the practical operation of a braiding machine of this character. for controlling the proper travel of the carrier in its course through the machine.

'One practical construction of the invention is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the switch member 3a is mounted to swing or move laterally in addition to receding or moving endways by which construction the extent of the total movement of this member is greatly reduced over a switch whose movement is entirely in an endways direction. In this constr action the switch is pro vided with a tapering hole in which is positioned a fixed centering or guiding pin 33 whereby when the switch is positioned to also move laterally slightly or su'lliciently to permit the carrier to pass upon engaging the same and after the carrier has passed the switch this switch returns under action of its spring 36 to normal or central position.

In some instances it may be found desirable instead oi employing an endways movable switch plate, to employ one similar to the structure illustrated in Figure l, which is that of a triangularlyshaped plate 28 having a slot 29 in it and in which slot is located a pin or screw 30 with a spring 31 on either side thereo'twhereby the advancing carrier moves this plate laterally and which is returned automatically to normal by the action of the coil springs 31 mounted therein.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier raceway and a movable carrier actuated switch mounted on said table at the intersections of the raceway and adapted, uninfluenced by the carriers that have passed it, to engage and yielding to change the direction of travel of'the carrier passing it.

2. In a braiding machine, the combination with a table having carrier guiding raceways, of carriers mounted to travel in said rac eways, and a spring switch member in said table at the intersections ot the raceway for yieldably engaging the leading end of the carrier passing it to change its direction of travel into the next raceway section and influenced in position only by each carrier as it passes it.

3. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier raceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein. a yieldable member adapted to recede bodily substantially in the line of travel of the advancing carrier to yieldably direct the travel of the carrier across the intersections of this raceway.

' i. In a braiding machine, the combination with a table having a carrier guiding raceway, of a carrier mounted to travel in said rac'eway,a carrier actuated yieldable switch member mounted to recede bodily substantially in the line of travel of the advancing carrier at the time of engagement therewith Gil to direct the carrier into the next section of the raceway, and means for returning said switch to normal position after the carrier has passed.

5. A braiding machine comprising a car rier raceway table, quoit plates rotatably mounted in said table spaced to provide a raceway between them in said table, a carrier actuated switch plate mounted at the upper surface of said table at the raceway intersection to slide bodily under impact of the carrier which is directedby it.

6. A braiding machine comprising a raceway table, quoit plates mounted in said table spaced to provide a raceway therein, said table being provided with a groove in its upper face, a spring pressed switch slidably mounted in said groove its engaging. 'end extending into the raceways at their way to another, and a coil spring for returning said member to normal after having been displaced by a passing carrier. 1

8. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier-raceway, a carrier mounted totravel therein, a member adapted to recede endways substantially in the line of travel of the advancing carrier todirect the travel of the carrier across the intersections of this raceway.

9. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier raceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein, a member mounted at the upper edge of the raceway and adapted to recede endways substantially in the line of travel. of the advancing carrier to direct the travel of the carrier across the intersections of this raceway.

10. A braiding machine raceway switch mounted to yield both endways and laterally by action of the carrier.

11. A braiding machine raceway switch adapted to be contacted by a carrier and thereupon to yield endways and laterally with respect to its normal position.

12. A braiding machine raceway switch adapted to be contacted by a carrier and ment when engaged by the carrier 14;. In a braiding machine, a tableor port having a carrier raceway and a bodily movable carrier actuated switch mounted at,

the intersections of the raceway to engage thejleading end of the carrier that-is passing it and thereupon, uninfluenced by carriers that have-passed it, to -change the direction of travel of said carrier.

15. In a braiding machine, a table or support having a carrier raceway and a carrier I actuated switch mounted at the intersections of the raceway to engage the leading end of the carrier and thereupon, influenced in position only by the carrier that is passing it, to change the directionof travel ofsuch carrier. I 1

16. In a braiding machine, atable having a carrierfraceway and a carrier actuated switchmounted at the intersections of the raceway having an inner end adapted to be engaged and movedby the carrier, said inner end when in its inner position extending into the raceway and when in its outer.posi-' tion forming a portionof the raceway.

17. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier raceway and a carrier actuated switch mounted at the intersections of the raceway having an inner end adapted to be engaged and moved by the carrier, said inner end when in its inner position extending into the raceway and when in its outer position forming a portion of the raceway, said switch having an endwise yielding movement.

18. In a braiding machine, a table having a carrier raceway and a carrier actuated raceway having an inner end adapted to be engaged and moved by the carrier, said inner end when in its inner osition extending into the raceway and when in its outer position forming a portion of the raceway, said switch having an endwise and lateral movement upon engagement with the carrier.

19. In a braiding machine, a table or support having a carrier raceway and a slidable, spring pressed member adapted to be engaged and influenced in position only by the leading end of the travelling carrier that is passing it and mounted at the intersections of the raceway to change the direction of travel of the said carrier.

20. A braiding machine having a carrier raceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein and a carrier-actuated switch plate mounted at the raceway intersections and adapted to slide bodily under impact of the carrier,

which is passing 1t.

21. A braiding machine having a carrier raceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein and a movable carrier actuated switch mounted on the table at the intersections and adapted to engage and change the direction of travel of the carrier that is passing it, and to be moved by said passing carrier, said switch having supporting efiect against tilting movement upon the carrler that operates it while said sw tch is being moved by the carrier and also when saidswitch is fully moved-by the carrier.

22. A bra dlng machine having a carrier raceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein moved in operation wholly by the said passing carrier whose direction of movement is then being changed by said switch.

23. In a braiding machine, the combination with a table having carrier-guiding rac-eways, of a carrier operatively mounted to move in said raceway, a slidableswitch member mounted to extend centrally into the raceways and beyond their point'of intersection and adapted to be actuated by a passing carrier for directing it from one section of the raceway to another, and a coil spring for returning said member to normal position after. having been displaced by a passing carrier.

24. In a braiding machine, a table having a ca'rrierraceway, a carrier mounted to travel therein, a member adapted to recede endways substantially in the line oi travel of the advancing carrier to direct the travel of the passing carrier across the intersections of this raceway, said member receding wholly under the influence of the said passing carrier, the line of whose travel is then being directed by the said member across the intersection of the raceway.

25. In a braiding machine, a table or support having a carrier raceway and a yieldingly mounted carrier-actuated switch at the intersections of the raceway and influenced in position only by the passing carrier to engage the leading end of the said passing carrier and upon engagement with the passing carrier thereupon to-change the direction of travel of said carrier.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSHUA B. HALE. 

